The question of whether an increased minimum wage will ultimately help low wage workers is complex. However, comments at a recent city council meeting did not logically support opting out of the county’s minimum wage increase. One alderman opposing the increase cited being on the side of the “little guy.” However, the little guy is the worker trying to support a family on $8.25 an hour, not the employer. The employer has a choice about whether to run a business: that employee usually does not have a job choice.
Another speaker said if Park Ridge opts out of the increase, we will benefit because businesses will move here from communities supporting the increase. Taking advantage of good done elsewhere by not performing the same good here should not be a basis for our decision. That reminds me of the embarrassing matter years ago where Park Ridge rejected a church’s desire to offer temporary shelter to the homeless, leaving that task to more charitable communities. Under that speaker’s logic, every community should opt out, leaving the little guy without a sufficient income. If we want our community to benefit, all communities should opt in because that will ultimately result in more money being spent by those workers. The initial wage increase will come from our pockets but we will benefit in the long haul. All that is part of what I was taught in school as social responsibility.
Michael W. Rathsack
Park Ridge
